WHEN FIRST ARRIVING in the USA
 

Hi. My wife from Norway will be moving to the USA soon and we are confused as to the what will actually occur when she lands at the airport in the USA. We have gone through all the necessary steps to get her visa and she received a large envelope she was told to 'not open' and bring with her to the USA. This is her VISA (I assume). My question is what does she do upon arriving here. Who does she give this large envelope to? What is the protocol? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Re: WHEN FIRST ARRIVING in the USA
 

i arrived in the US 4 weeks ago via newark - you queue up as normal to come through immigration - tell the officer you have an immigrant visa - they told me to go into a side room where about 100 people were waiting to be seen. I sat around for about 45 minutes and then the officer who had originally seen me came in for a coffee break saw me still sitting there and took my papers asked me to come into another office. He took my fingerprints stamped my passport and that was that....

unfortunately I received a letter the other day via my old address even though I have changed my address 3 times with the INS, saying that my papers were not stamped at newark - so I have to go and prove that I arrived on the date in question by showing a local INS agent my passport - so now I have to get time off work.

Hope this helps - make sure the immigration officer stamps your papers!!

good luck Gill

Re: WHEN FIRST ARRIVING in the USA
 

The visa will be what she has in her passport- a sticker with her picture on it that says "visa". The "mysterious brown envelope" is her file, with her as the courier. She should follow instructions and no open it. When she gets in, she should get in the immigration line per usual. They will take her into an office in the airport known as secondary immigration, where they will process her file and stamp her passport. Make sure she asks aboutwork authorization. Most probably she will have to go down her local INS office once she arrives for her 90 day temporary EAD card.
good luck and happy future to you both

Re: WHEN FIRST ARRIVING in the USA
 

a link to more info:
http://www.k1poelist.com/

Re: WHEN FIRST ARRIVING in the USA
 

Ms. Bohm is speaking of the K-1 fiancee visa which is not what your wife has.

Your wife has an approved spousal visa. She will be given the I-551 stamp in her passport.

Be sure that they ~~~~~write her Alien Registration Number ~~~~~ alongside the I-551 Stamp or by her new I-94.

Rete